Riding the Rails & Traveling the Trails
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riding the rails & traveling the trails A History of trAvel in new Mexico A CurriCulum About RailroAds in new mexiCo And the SantA Fe trAil CurriCulum TeaCher Guide Prepared by beth maloney – www.bethmaloney.com – August 2009 lesson Plans editors: Amanda lujan, Van of enchantment coordinator/educator, museum resources division erica Garcia, chief educator, new mexico history museum Frances levine, Ph.d., director, new mexico history museum A history of travel in new mexico is a collaboration of the department of Cultural Affairs, new mexico history museum, museum resources division, and the new mexico department of transportation. aCknowledGmenTs Funding provided by the new mexico department of transportation, department of Cultural Affairs and museum of new mexico Foundation. This curriculum was developed and written by beth maloney. For more information about beth or to be in contact, please see www.bethmaloney.com some of the lessons in this curriculum use themes and materials found in two educational sources: Santa Fe Trail Adventures; An Activity Book for Kids and Teachers by dave webb (dodge City: Kansas heritage Center, 1989, revised 2000) Soot and Cinders: An Educator’s Guide to the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad National Historic Site. Prepared by the Friends of the Cumbres & toltec scenic railroad, march 2007 original texts for the background information sections were written by content experts Fred Friedman and harry C. meyers and referenced and edited by beth maloney, museum education consultant. editors: Amanda lujan, Van of enchantment coordinator/educator, Center for museum resources erica Garcia, chief educator, new mexico history museum Frances levine, Ph.d., director, new mexico history museum For more information about the Van of enchantment, please contact coordinator/educator Amanda lujan at [email protected]. 2 Table of ConTenTs Overview. 2 Background.Information. 3 Myths.and.Misconceptions.About.the.Santa.Fe.Trail. 9 Frequently.Asked.Questions.About.the.Railroad. 10 Lesson.Plans.for.4th.Grade. 12 mapping the railroad. 12 i’ve been working on the railroad. 14 making a model. 16 Lesson.Plans.for.7th.Grade. 18 mapping the trail. 18 Primary source Perspectives. 20 taking it with You. 26 Lesson.Plans.for.12th.Grade. 28 Pictures tell 1,000 words. 28 mass transit v. Private travel. 32 Creating a destination . 34 Vocabulary.List . 36 Bibliography.of.Print.and.Online.Resources. 38 Curriculum.Evaluation.. 43 1 overview ridinG The rails The exhibition explores the history of transportation in new mexico through an examination of the santa Fe trail and the railroads. The santa Fe trail was an international trade route between mexico and the united stated from 1821 to 1848 and later a major route for the westward expansion of the united states. it made way for the arrival of the railroad in 1880. The railroad spurred the growth of new mexico industry and encouraged the development of towns. The rail opened the southwest to artists, travelers and speculators and became a final destination for many. new mexico continues to utilize its rails with the completion of the new mexico rail runner express. 2 Goals of our ProjeCT These lessons are designed to support a visit to the exhibition on the Van of enchantment. They use primary and secondary sources— writing, images and maps—as bases for activities and exploration. how To use These lessons ideally these lessons should be used in conjunction with a visit to the exhibition on the Van of enchantment. if used before a visit to the Van exhibition, be sure to let the Van staff know.w e may be able to tailor your experience to enhance what your students have been working on in the classroom. if you cannot take your students to the Van exhibition, these lessons can be used by themselves, either in relation to other topics or as part of a larger unit on the santa Fe trail or railroad. Few additional materials are required and all are either inexpensive or already available in the classroom or on-line. our goal is to make these lessons as flexible and easy to use as possible. There are many quality educational materials that can be used to explore the history the santa Fe trail and the santa Fe railroad. we have listed web sites and sources in the bibliography of this exhibition curriculum. be sure, too, to visit www.vanofenchantment.org for additional information, materials and activities. 3 baCkGround informaTion abouT The sanTa fe Trail and The railroad overview of The war ended, the Atchison, topeka and santa Fe railway expanded westward. when the tracks sanTa fe Trail reached santa Fe in 1880, railroad service when new mexico was a spanish province, replaced wagon freighting and heavy use of the strict laws and geographic isolation kept trade santa Fe trail was at an end. tightly controlled and limited. Goods that made it up to santa Fe were few and far between Though the trail was used mainly for and also very expensive. when mexico won its trade, others used it as well—explorers and freedom from spain in 1821, new mexicans adventurers, the military, families accompanying began to trade with whomever they pleased. traders and, more rarely, people moving west After william becknell of Franklin, missouri, for gold or land. Along with goods and money, initiated a trade relationship with new mexican ideas and customs also were exchanged along communities in 1821, the santa Fe trail was in the santa Fe trail. new mexicans were exposed regular use. until 1848, the santa Fe trail was to “Yankees” and their way of doing business. an important international trade route between travelers from missouri were exposed to the united states and mexico. different peoples and cultures.t raders married with the signing of the treaty of Guadalupe hildago at the end of the mexican-American war, new mexico became a territory of the united states. The santa Fe trail continued to be a major trade route. when the Civil 4 new mexico daughters and in many cases those who Traveled The Trail? traders stayed in new mexico or took their wives back to missouri. The santa Fe trail was a route hearing opportunity knocking, some new of commerce but quickly became also a route of mexicans became traders themselves and, cultural exchange. according to accounts came to dominate trade on the santa Fe trail. For other traders, santa Fe was only a stopping point in new mexico haT was Traded w ? before heading south into old mexico with their The major item of trade brought to the goods. southwest was cloth: calico, chambray, dimity, flannels, ginghams, linens, muslins, percales, The santa Fe trail was mainly for traders and silks, and more. other goods included needles, not for emigrants or cattle. At times, however, thread, buttons, shawls, handkerchiefs, knives, women and children traveled with traders’ files, axes, tools, and, in 1824, a shipment of wagons, and the military used the trail as a travel “green spectacles.” The wagons that carried and supply route. during the mexican-American goods and the oxen or mules that pulled the war, for example, the santa Fe trail became wagons also were sold. route to invade and move supplies. military posts were established in new mexico and trade on the santa Fe trail went both from east soldiers were stationed there. to west and west to east. sent back to missouri were silver coins, processed gold, wool, mules during this period, the trail’s mountain route and other items that helped missouri to thrive over raton Pass became popular, and once when financial depression struck the rest of the new mexico became part of the united states, country from 1821 to 1848. The spanish and the army employed civilian contractors to haul mexican 8 reales coin was legal tender in the freight. Among the freighting firms was russell, united states until 1857 because of its reliable majors and waddell, a partnership that later silver content. operated the Pony express between missouri and California. 5 whaT was life like on The Trail? used on the trail were canopy or Conestoga wagons and farm wagons, and some could hold because the 900-mile trail cut through diverse between 2,000 and 7,000 pounds. The military’s environmental zones, from prairie to high desert heavy-duty freight wagons could carry only to mountain the month long journey down 2,500 pounds. the trail was difficult and needed to be well planned. stretches of the trail with no water with the trail cutting through their homelands, had to be traveled at night when it was cooler. American indians saw its impact on the land: The mountain route had steep grades and rocks game was killed, buffalo began to disappear, and trees in the path and had to be traveled in grasslands were trampled. Though their daylight. day or night, weather could be harsh, resistance at times escalated, more people with blizzards, river flooding, prairie fires and probably died from sickness, accidents, and droughts. old age than from indian attacks on caravans. individuals who strayed away from the main Though it could have gone farther, caravans party, however, risked retaliation for trespassing typically traveled 15 to 20 miles a day for the on native American territories.. sake of the animals whose strength had to be conserved for the long journey. trade wagons Among those who wrote about life on the santa Fe trail were marian russell, who dictated her memoirs for a book, and susan shelby magoffin, who kept a diary she on her journey. whaT effeCT did railroads have on new mexiCo? The railroad in the new mexico changed everything from architecture to politics by opening the territory to economic, political, social, and economic change.